Steal a Heart Day
by coolmarauders
Summary: Dumbledore plans a special game for Valentine's Day. Steal a Heart Day. Will all be well, or will Ron still have the emotional capacity of a teaspoon? Is Harry really trying to destroy his feelings about Ginny? Minerva has always had a thing for Albus...
1. The Game Begins!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter characters. All I own is the plot.

This is definitely an AU fic, since Dumbledore is alive! Well, it would be during sixth year I suppose, because of the pairings.

* * *

January had been over for a week now. Hearts were fluttering. It was almost Valentine's Day, and Professor Dumbledore had something up his sleeve. There wouldn't be a Hogsmeade visit this year, he had something planned that Minerva didn't even know about.

* * *

It was breakfast, three days before Valentine's Day. Dumbledore stood up to get the students' attention.

"As you know, Valentine's Day is coming up!" Dumbledore said in his cheery voice. "This year I have something different planned!" A few muted whispers ran through the Great Hall.

"Get on with it!" The Weasley twins yelled, sporting identical grins. Albus smiled while Minerva glowered. She wanted to know what was happening too, but she wouldn't be so cheeky.

"As I was saying, I have something planned. It will be Steal a Heart Day!" The Headmaster's eyes twinkled fiercely. Most of the students looked confused, but some had little smirks on their faces. Those were mostly Muggle-born witches or wizards. Even Minerva McGonnagall looked confused.

"Steal a Heart Day is a Valentine's Day celebration. The females are not allowed to talk to males all day. That includes talking to teachers,"-Hermione gasped-"or your peers. Oh yes. This applies to all staff. Females will wear a pink heart on their shirts. If a female happens to talk to a male, the heart will turn a deep pink- fuschia. If there happens to be more contact, the heart will turn red. If you want your heart to stay pink, there will be no writing notes, or any contact with males. " Dumbledore's smile widened and his eyes glittered like a miniature sun.

"Onto your classes before you are late!" He dismissed the students. The professors were staring openly at him, except for Snape and Trelawney. The latter was playing with her spoon and scanned the room with darting eyes. It was one of the few times that she had come to the Great Hall for a meal.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Dumbledore asked cheerfully. "Time for classes!"

* * *

"So Harry, what d'you think about this- thing?" Ron stumbled with his words.

"I dunno." Harry was surprised. He really would like to change a person's heart, but he wasn't sure he had the nerve.

"I think it will be fun," Hermione said brightly. "Maybe it will work on some inter-House relationships!"

"Of course it will. Girls can't talk to anyone, so if a boy tries to tease them or something, they can't respond unless they want to lose. Great game," Ron said acidly. Hermione arched an eyebrow.

"I didn't think you had put that much thought into this Ronald," she said, putting the faintest possible stress on the word "Ronald". The truth was, Hemione hadn't thought about that either. She really was hoping someone would take change her heart, at least to fuschia. Her real heart was already stolen.

* * *

The students were all aquiver, for it was Valentine's day at last. McGonagall came to the Gryffindor table and passed out the hearts to the girls. She made one last announcement before the game began.

"I will not tolerate teasing or harassing of any kind, gentlemen, just because the ladies cannot talk to you. If I find out about anything like this, the student will be punished severely." She stared down at them all, even looking toward the Slytherin table. It seemed like she was worried about this too. Minerva McGonagall, actually showing some worry about silly games!

"The game begins… _now_," Dumbledore's voice rang through the hall and at once the girls stopped talking to boys. Hermione turned her attention to Ginny, Pansy Parkinson cast flirtatious looks at Draco, Lavender and Parvati giggled, and Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones looked very nervous.

"Come on Ginny, we have time to go upstairs before classes start." Hermione pulled Ginny by the arm up to the Commmon Room. Once the brunette and red-head were out of earshot, Ron turned to Harry.

"Harry, I need help." Ron's friend looked a little startled, but said, "What with?" all the same.

"Well, there's this girl I, well you know, and I want to ask her out some way today," Ron stuttered. There was a faint grin sneaking around Harry's mouth, because he had a feeling he knew who Ron was talking about. Harry had had the same idea, so he was sympathetic to Ron and did not press for details.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Harry admitted.

"So what should I do?" Ron pressed.

"Well, I don't really know," said Harry. Ron moaned. Then his face brightened.

"I have an idea for both of us Harry…"

* * *

"Hermione what's wrong?" Ginny asked as they walked up to the girl's dormitories.

"Well-" Hermione started. "Well, aren't you… afraid that_ something_ will happen?"

"Not really. But I am hoping," Ginny admitted. "Do you have an idea?"

"No. Just a wish." Ginny knew who Hermione's wish was and vice versa.

"Let's get to classes," Hermione said reluctantly. It was going to be a long, hard day without answering any questions in class. She only wanted to lose to one red headed person.

* * *

Hermione caught up with Ron and Harry on the way to their class together.

"Hermione who do you like?" Ron asked suddenly.

Hermione was silent.

"C'mon Hermione!"

Silence.

Harry was openly grinning. Sooner or later, it would come to an end.

"It's Malfoy isn't it?"

No answer. But Hermione did send a glare worthy of Mrs. Weasley Ron's way.

"Right. So it's Zabini."

Another glare.

"Crabbe."

Hermione almost lost her patience there, but managed to keep silent. Her face was contorted with anger.

"Goyle."

She was getting frustrated. Why was Ron being so stupid?

Well, then again, he did have the emotional range of a teaspoon.

* * *

Well, there's the first chapter. The next one will probably be McGonagall. There might be a bit of a delay between updates, because I am working on so many stories. I really need to finish one. But I really am going to finish one soon. I think _The Riddle Boy_ will be done very soon. But I am creating a sequel to that. 


	2. Secret Admirer

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Harry Potter

AN: Minerva time!

* * *

As soon as Albus said the words "The game begins…_now_," Minerva McGonagall wore a determined expression on her face. She hated to lose.

Although she had warned _her_ house, she wasn't sure about the staff. Slughorn was rather dodgy at times.

_I will not lose my temper,_ Minerva told herself over and over again. She would win this game, no matter how hard the teachers tried to get her to talk.

* * *

Albus smiled to himself as he watched Minerva walking around silently. She would have a hard day, not telling off any of the boys in her class. It would be most interesting to watch.

But first, he had a note to write.

_Dear Minerva,_

_I am one you cannot speak to; so do not go asking who I am. You won't find out. _

_But I am a secret admirer. See if you can string together the clues…_

_Until that moment,_

_Secret Admirer_

He had changed his writing, for his style was too noticeable.

"Off you go!" he whispered to the little piece of parchment and it flew away to a spot where Minerva would find it.

Maybe she would figure it out, maybe not. Who knows?

* * *

The large pink heart on Minerva's shoulder was highly irritating. She knew there was a charm on them to not allow the hearts to be taken off, but she still wanted to. Oops. Minerva realized that she had forgotten to warn her girls about that. Ah, well. If they found out, they found out. She was sure Hermione Granger would. There was not end to that girl's knowledge. There was a scrap of parchment on Minerva's desk when she arrived in her classroom. It was folded up neatly, the creases tight and precise. When the note was opened, the ink was not blurred or hard to read. The letters were blocky, yet flowing at the same time.

She read the not silently to herself, mouthing the words. Minerva gaped at it.

A secret admirer? For her? It couldn't happen. Nobody would want _her_. She was old and strict and harsh. Who would want someone like that?

The first students of the day arrived. They were girls, thankfully.

"Spread the word," Professor McGonagall said to them. "That we will be reviewing pages 127-145 in your Transfiguration book today. Take notes and read carefully. Then do the spell on page 136 for the rest of the period. If you perfect that, come see me."

Just when she finished, boys came in. Minerva tightly closed her mouth. The lines around it seemed to be deeper than usual.

The same thought kept running through her head. _Who would want me?_

* * *

Before her second class, Minerva took a short walk around the grounds. At the Quidditch Pitch, she saw another scrap of parchment fluttering in the wind. She grabbed at it eagerly, hoping nobody could see her.

_Dear Minerva,_

_I know you think that you are old and stern, but my ways of thinking are different than yours. _

_Beauty does not live only in the young, Minerva. Sometimes it hides in the not-so-young, waiting for the right moment to pop out and shine. _

_Forever,_

Secret Admirer 

Minerva sighed. It was terribly romantic.

But that line, _my ways of thinking are different than yours_, could mean many things. Snape, for instance, had a very different style of teaching than she did.

Snape.

Please, no, she thought anxiously. Anything but Snape.

He was foul, greasy and slimy. He favored his own students, like that Malfoy.

She shuddered.

Anything but Snape.

* * *

Albus watched in amusement as Minerva snatched at the parchment floating in the wind. She wasn't going to stay out for much longer; her next class started soon.

Minerva realized that at too. She hurried back into the comfort of the castle, to ponder upon who her admirer could be.

hr

Fortunately, the first students to arrive in her second class were also of the female gender. This was her fourth year class.

"Review pages 493-567," she ordered. "If you finish, practice Switching Spells with these." She gestured to the cacti to her right. Again, the boys came soon after, and she shut her mouth.

Most of the lesson was spent in a daze. Who could her admirer be? She wanted to know desperately. Minerva hated not knowing things. She was rather like Miss Granger in that respect.

A rather nasty thought came into her head. What if it was a _female_ teacher? Or student?

Not that couldn't be right, she reassured herself. It said, _I am one you cannot speak to…_

Thank Merlin.

This day was turning out to be more mysterious than Minerva expected.

* * *

Yes, short chapter, but quick update for me. I might write one more after this. I am going to concentrate on this story for a bit, so I can finish it.

Next… probably Ginny.


	3. Joy and Rapture

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters.

AN: Time for Ginny!

* * *

After her talk with Hermione, Ginny had been troubled. What if, say, Neville, tried to ask her out some way? Going to the Yule Ball was bad enough; Neville was a horrible dancer. Her toes were sore for a week after.

But maybe, just maybe, _Harry_ would do something! Now _that_ was wishful thinking. Harry didn't like her that way.

On the way to lunch, Harry caught up with Ginny. He was relieved to see that her heart was still pink. He wondered how uncomfortable they were.

"So…" he started.

Ginny didn't finish.

"Well- d'you like anyone?"

Ginny didn't answer.

"Dean?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. She had broken up with him already.

"Seamus?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'll take that as a 'no'… Let's see… Colin?" Harry was getting desperate. It was surprising how little he knew about Ginny. She only liked one peson right now...

Ginny glared. True, Colin Creevey was in her year, but that didn't mean that she liked him!

Then he threw out the truly awful.

"Neville."

Ginny almost broke her vow of silence, but remembered just in time. It would be horrible having all the girls asking her who she talked to and why she did it and was he cute and was he smart and was he clumsy? Lavender and Parvatii especially would do that to no end.

"Malfoy."

Another glare, but this was her Glare, learned especially from her mother. It was a useful tool, this Glare. She loved using it on Ron, seeing him squirm with guilt. It brightened up her day.

"I'll say no Slytherins," Harry muttered.

Then he got the right idea.

"How about me?" The Boy Who Lived asked brightly. Ginny couldn't tell if he was joking, but her face soon matched her hair.

"Hmm…" Harry teased her. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Ginny's face was a tomato.

"So… how long?"

No answer.

"Well, I'll get back to you, Ginny."

She sighed with relief and set out to find Hermione. She had news…

* * *

"What?" Hermione gasped.

"Yeah. I know." Ginny knew the "What?" Hermione uttered meant that she was surprised, not that she was hard of hearing. If Hermione was hard of hearing, she wouldn't have done so well in school.

"But you- you do, don't you?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Yeah," Ginny muttered. She blushed again.

"So… what's going to happen?"

"How am I supposed to know? I don't take Divination!" Ginny snapped. This "game" was making her irritable. She didn't want Harry to bother her like what he was doing before, and she didn't want Hermione to analyze it. She didn't want girls clamoring over her if her heart changed colors. She just wanted to sleep until the day was over.

But of course, it was a school day.

Joy and rapture.

* * *

Yes, short chapter, I know, but I don't really care. 


	4. Horrible Images

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Harry Potter.

AN: I took the advice of the anonymous "Hermione" and redid all the chapters so the hearts were charmed to change color when a girl talked to a boy. To start with it is pink, when the girl talks to a boy it turns to fuchsia, and if a girl does more than talking (ahem you know what I mean) with a boy, it turns to red. I haven't really put this in but if it is their- no never mind, that wouldn't work. Hee hee. NO wait, it would. If it is their first kiss, or just their first kiss with this person-and I don't count kissing on the cheek as being their first kiss with a person- the heart turns to scarlet.

Got that? Good.

* * *

Transfiguration was good. Hermione got to answer more questions than usual, because McGonagall could only call on the girls. McGonagall had to talk in this class, because of the year the students were in. They were just reviewing pages in the book at first, but then McGonagall gave them a quiz. Well, she gave the girls a quiz.

Hermione felt that she had done well on the quiz. It was rather easy, but you never know what might happen. As she started to think of the possibilities, Hermione became more and more worried. What if she failed the test, because McGonagall couldn't read her handwriting?

"So to resume our conversation," Ron sauntered up beside Hermione. Harry was nowhere to be found. Great.

"Smith?" he guessed. "Zacharias Smith?"

Hermione was shocked.

"Okay… McLaggen!"

He was going for the truly horrendous here.

"Nott!"

Ron was too excited about this. Hermione had the opposite feelings. Why was he guessing all the stupid Slytherins?

"Diggory?"

How could he forget that Cedric was dead? Ron realized that as soon as he finished saying that.

"Well, you know, you could still…" he trailed off. It was a dark path he was going down. Hermione just might have to get Ginny over here and give him her Bat-Bogey Hex. That would be fun to watch.

Hermione seriously contemplated that for a minute, and then discarded it. She would rather do it herself.

Ron had been silent for several minutes.

"Dean?" he guessed.

Well, he was on the right track.

At Hermione's stony face, Ron decided that was a "no."

"Seamus?"

Although he was rather good looking… no. His accent was cute.

Ron seemed crestfallen when he saw Hermione think about it. Then she resumed her determine, annoyed expression. Hooray!

"Neville?" Ron said lamely.

Now he was _way_ off track. Really! Neville! He had asked her to the Yule Ball though. He was quite nice, just not right.

"Harry."

Ron seemed resigned to the fact that it was Harry. Hermione blushing didn't help either. She wasn't blushing because she liked him, but because of how close to guessing correctly Ron was.

"Well, he'll be pleased to know," said Ron sullenly. Hermione panicked. She didn't like Harry! Ron couldn't tell him!

"Okay, okay! I won't tell him." Sometimes Ron was quite adept at guessing what Hermione meant. But then again, her face must have been really panicky. It couldn't have been that hard.

She sped away, looking for Ginny. There the red head was, looking red and mad.

"What is it?" Hermione asked before Ginny could open her mouth.

Ginny told her story. It was so much like Hermione's that she began to wonder if the boys had planned something…

"But you- you do, don't you?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Yeah," Ginny muttered. She blushed again.

"So… what's going to happen?"

"How am I supposed to know? I don't take Divination!" Ginny snapped.

"Well here's my story…" Hermione began. She told all of it in detail, remembering exactly whom Ron had guessed. She grimaced as she remembered.

"But you do, right?" Ginny repeated Hermione's words.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Hermione said softly.

"What's going to happen to us?" Ginny sighed dramatically. Lavender and Parvati looked over and began to ask them what had happened.

When Hermione told the basic idea of what Ron was doing, Lavender glared forcefully. Parvati looked at Hermione knowingly. She hated that look. It always meant something bad.

"So Ron kept trying to guess who you fancy?" Parvati pried.

"Well, yes." Hermione admitted.

"And Harry guessed that you fancy him?" Parvati now asked Ginny.

She nodded.

"Well it's obvious!" the dark skinned girl cried. Lavender was determinedly looking away.

"What's obvious?" asked Hermione confusedly.

"That he fancies you!" Lavender yelled shrilly.

Hermione and Ginny both blushed. It was quite the day for blushing.

"But what do I do?" Hermione asked. "He thinks I like Harry!"

"Well…" Parvati began. "Um. Not quite sure about that one. But Ginny, you have to keep flirting with him."

Ginny grinned. This could be very fun…

"But what about me? I don't like Harry!" Hermione moaned. Lavender glowered at her.

"Well- find some way of showing him that," Parvati supplied.

"Oh thanks," Hermione said acidly. "That's really helpful, considering that I don't want my heart to turn fuchsia."

"Well, if you don't want our help," Parvati threatened.

"All right! I'm sorry!" Hermione snapped. Parvati looked smug. She loved getting her way.

"Well, flirt with him a bit!" Parvati suddenly realized.

"Is that _all_ you do?" Hermione remarked. Ginny looked as though she had been about to say the same thing. She nodded instead.

"Well, it's fun!" Lavender said, more to Ginny than Hermione.

"Fine. I've got to go," Ginny said shortly. "To _flirt_." She rolled her eyes.

"And I have to go to Arithmancy." Hermione stood up and left the table. She looked once at Ron, who was deep in a conversation with Harry.

She hoped that he hadn't overheard anything.

That would be even worse than… than Malfoy kissing her!

No that would be pretty bad.

That left an ugly image in Hermione's head. It was extremely hard to get out. Ew. But it wasn't as bad as her and _Crabbe or Goyle_ kissing! Now she had _that_ stuck in her head.

_Why did I even think about that!_


	5. Replying

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Harry Potter.

An: I love you reviewers! You are the best! I've never had such a good reaction to a story I made on a whim!

As Natasha Bedingfield says:

These words are my own 

_From my heart from_

_I love you_

_I love you_

_I love you!_

True, those are not my words. But I still love you! I love you! I love you! These words are my own! From my heart! I love you; I love yoo-u! I love you is that okay?

That's a great song!

Well, on with the story.

Wait, I lied. I have to explain my grading scale. O equals an A; E equals an A-; A equals a B; P equals a C; D equals a D; and T equals an E/F.

Now to the story…

* * *

Albus really did love mysteries. There is something so- mysterious about them! And sometimes you get hooked on a mystery, picking and tearing at depths of it, until you get to the core of it.

Minerva did not like mysteries. She wanted everything laid out before her, where she could see it. It would at least be helpful if the clues to the mystery were right in front of her, where she could see them.

These notes were a mystery that Minerva wanted solved.

After lunch, when she was back in her classroom, another one had been lying on a desk, looking like a note a student had passed.

_Dearest Minerva,_

_I know you do not like mysteries. I know they bother you and that you want everything in plain sight. _

_But I- these notes- are a mystery that you must solve, before the end of the day. Of course, you may find me after today, but wouldn't it be much more satisfying doing it today?_

_I will try to leave you a clue as to my name, or at least, to my hobbies._

_Auburn. I remember your hair once being that color, when you tried to dye it. You were not satisfied with your looks; though your eyes are the most beautiful I have ever seen. _

_So I must leave you Minerva, with a mystery._

_Mysteriously,_

_Secret Admirer_

Where was the clue? Minerva wondered about his while the students were still at lunch. She had a free lesson before her seventh years.

All he had talked about were mysteries and auburn hair. Minerva still blushed when she thought of what she had done to herself. Minerva had always thought of herself as being rather plump, so she dieted. Then she started wearing revealing clothes in order to show off her body. After that, she dyed her hair auburn instead of the usual brown. It didn't turn out well.

Eventually she had to be taken to the hospital wing for starving herself. She was in there for several weeks, with Madame Pare trying to get nutrients in her body. All the time she was in the hospital wing she had kept up with her studies.

Minerva shook the images of her stick thing body out of her head. Auburn… who had auburn hair? None of the men did.

But Albus… he used to have auburn hair…

No. Minerva threw the thought out of her head. It couldn't be Albus. He had too much to do without sending anonymous love notes.

If it wasn't him, who could it be?

Minerva kept that private hope in the back of her mind; stuffed it in a secret compartment in a little box. Nobody would find it there.

* * *

The seventh years had a difficult quiz to take. Since they could not ask questions, Minerva let it be an open-note quiz. It was the first one of the year. The students were excited, but Minerva was doubtful that anyone had taken enough notes to get all the questions right. She had made this test especially hard.

The students had looks of worry on their faces. Minerva could still remember when they were just first years, with round, hopeful faces. She could remember the first time that an exemplary student changed her match into a needle. No, she was confusing them with her sixth years. She was remembering Hermione Granger. None of these students were particularly spectacular. They had made it up to N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration, which was an accomplishment.

But they wouldn't compare to the famous Miss Granger.

"Excuse me," a girl, Teresa Torrance, said to her teacher. "I'm finished."

Minerva took the paper and nodded. Teresa was smart. Frankly, she had thought of her as a good girl. As in kissing up to the teachers.

She quickly graded the paper. It was a sixteen out of twenty. Not Teresa's usual work. That earned her an A. She usually got at least an E.

The next paper came in. It was a boy's this time, Fergus O'Spencer's. He looked extremely nervous. Minerva took it without even looking at him. This paper was a fifteen out of twenty, a P.

The rest of the lesson passed smoothly, with no interruptions. Minerva noticed that several hearts were red. Some of them were a very deep red, scarlet. She couldn't figure out what that was for.

When the last student had filed out, a little paper swan came flying in. Minerva felt her heart jump and her stomach flip.

Another note!

Minerva- 

What a beginning!

_I can still remember your auburn hair. It will live in my memory forever. _

_How can I express how I feel… I have many ways to do so, but I cannot seem to think of one to suit you. _

_Why don't I just write it out? I do not know. Sometimes writing it out seems… But it is the best way for now._

_Minerva, I love you. I have loved you and will until I die. I hope that my death shall not be soon, for it will mean parting with you. But death is not the worst thing that can happen, as some think. Living a life without love is worse. But I have lived with love and can hope that you have too._

_Lovingly,_

_Secret Admirer._

P.S. Do you need another clue? Silver. 

Silver. _Silver. _What could be silver? Well, for one, Albus's devices. And his hair. Maybe it really was him!

How was she supposed to act around him now? It would be awkward, especially if she didn't tell him that she knew that he was sending the notes.

Maybe she would just have to send some of her own…

Minerva took out a crumpled piece of parchment and some deep purple ink.

_Dear Albus,_

_I don't know how to tell you this. _

_But I hate mysteries. _

_And you love them._

_What do mysteries have to do with anything?_

_Well, unless you figure out who I am, I am a mystery. And He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is a mystery that I know you have devoted your life to. _

_My mysteries… figuring out how to act around you. Finding out who I am. The students. _

_I just want you to know, Albus, that I care so much for you. Sometimes I feel as if my heart will burst if I don't tell you. But I have told you now. _

_And a clue to who I am…. Auburn._

_Forever,_

_Secret Admirer_

_P.S. Thank you for the note. _

Minerva looked it over. Her handwriting was sloppy in this note but her curves of the "h"s were still the same. Perhaps it was for the better. Anyway, it would be revealing a lot to say that she received his note.

Maybe after he got the note, Albus would meet up with Minerva. Perhaps they would talk things over and drink warm hot chocolate or butterbeer.

A fantasy began to form inside Minerva's head and she didn't try to stop it.


	6. Coy Smile

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Harry Potter.

AN: Ginny chapter! It's for you Ginny/Harry lovers out there! Such a cute couple… Hey did you realize that _both_ Harry and his dad went out with red haired girls? Ha, I'm so smart!

* * *

"So I have to flirt, using only body language," Ginny reminded herself. This might be a hard task, since Ginny loved to talk. She did often use her hands when she talked; but you can't really use your hands and not talk, can you? At least not with boys. They aren't usually smart enough for that. There were a choice few who could face that challenge, but Ginny wasn't sure if Harry was one of them.

"So think swingy hips, batty eyes, and… good posture?" Ginny muttered. This was going to take a lot of stamina. Who knew how long she could keep doing flirty eyes? They might fall out of her head because of fatigue!

It was time for her Charms class. Ginny walked there, not too slowly, but not too quickly either. She wanted to make sure that Harry would have enough time to catch up with her new way of walking. She wasn't sure if it made her walk slower of faster. But she felt pretty stupid doing it. Stupid Lavender and Parvati.

"Hey Ginny!" Harry said, grinning. He was clearly enjoying this. Ginny looked up at him in a way she thought might be seductive. Or possibly just really dumb.

"So, to take off from where we started- I mean ended," Harry corrected himself. Ginny's heart lightened. He was as nervous as she was!

"How long have you liked me?" Ginny's heart sank again. She was hoping he wouldn't remember what he had been talking about. Then maybe she could just walk along with her swingy hips and batty eyes. She probably would have tripped. She probably still would trip.

Ginny forced her mouth into a coy half-smile. There was no way she was telling him! Let Harry figure it out himself. She certainly wasn't going to make her heart go fuchsia, like some other girls.

"D'you want me to guess?" Harry said hopelessly. Ginny sped up. She didn't want to be late for Charms.

"Since you were… eight," guessed Harry without really believing in what he was guessing. Ginny's smile widened a little bit, though it did not evolve into a full-blown grin. She was keeping it flirty and feminine.

"Nine?" She hadn't even seen him when she was nine! Well, Ginny had seen books about the Boy Who Lived. There were also news articles, magazines, and even some action figures. But the action figures hadn't really looked like him. _Ginny_ wasn't the one who had gotten them, it was _Ron_. Well, he hadn't really wanted one, but their uncle had given one to Ron when he was about eight.

"Six!" Harry joked. They were almost to the Charms room. Harry's next class was around here too. Ginny contained the giggle that had risen in her throat. She wasn't sure whether giggling counted as communication between the genders, but she wasn't about to risk it.

"Well, I have to go to my class, see you around Ginny!" Harry said happily and sprinted off to the next floor.

Ginny sighed. It was hard to flirt so much! Really, there should be a flirting contest in the Gryffindor Common Room! Lavender or Parvati would probably win. Hermione could unleash some hidden talents especially for Ron…

Ginny burst into the Charms classroom just before it was too late. She took her seat next to Luna and the latter started talking animatedly about how someone had sighted a Snaggle-Toothed Morlack in Germany. She said that her father was going to go to Germany to research it. Luna talked for a while, but Ginny was zoning out, dreaming about a certain pair of glass-green eyes…

Someone rustling papers in front of her awaked Ginny. Oh. They were having a pop quiz apparently. Luna took her wand from behind her ear and waved it over the paper. Nothing changed. Luna ignored the stares and went on to answer the questions.

_ 1. Name the proper form for the Shield Charm._

Ginny smiled to herself. This would be easy. Without realizing it, she adopted that coy smile she had been using with Harry. Several boys stared at her, certain that she was smiling at them. Ginny was very well liked in many of her classes, this one included.

Ginny started humming a song that Hermione used to listen to all the time. Hermione had brought her CD player over to the Burrow in the summer. Ginny loved listening to music and singing along with it. She had started singing in the shower. Every time Ginny had come out of the shower, Hermione had been holding back a laugh. Ginny usually glared at her and stomped away to her room to get dressed in private. Ginny really wasn't a bad singer. In fact, she was good. But some of the songs didn't have to best words in them. Ginny thought the sound of the running water would drown it out. It didn't.

Luna stared at Ginny openly.

"What?" Ginny whispered.

"You were humming some weird song," Luna said in a hushed voice. Ha! Luna sang songs like "The Nargles Stole My Heart Away."

Ginny shook her head and went to give Flitwick her paper. He nodded but didn't say anything.

_How embarrassing, _Ginny thought. _It would be to lose your pink heart to Flitwick! Or Snape! Or Slughorn! Or Binns! Or Hagrid! Or Vector! Ha! Ha! _

She barely contained the gleeful laugh that threatened to escape from her. She instead smiled broadly, forgoing the coy, flirty half smile she had used earlier. This one felt natural, not like she was acting.

Maybe this was the way to get Harry…


	7. Anger

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters or places of Harry Potter and am not making money off of this.

**Author's Note:** Happy Valentine's Day! You know what's sad? We didn't do this in school! I thought we were, but…. Sniff. I'm fine now. Sort of.

Yes, I know that Harry isn't really in character; he is a little immodest here.

Oh right. I'm not really sure when they have Charms, but in this fic, they have it now.

BUT ONTO THE HERMIONE/RON GOODNESS!

Sorry… one last note. This shall be the second-to-last chapter of H/R.

* * *

Hermione was flustered. She didn't like Harry! She didn't! She liked red hair… especially on tall, lanky, freckly boys. In other words, she liked Ron. But Ron thought she liked Harry.

So Hermione had to engage in the deadliest of sports, the one that breaks both the mind and the soul.

Flirting.

Hermione had hoped she would never have to win _back_ a boy through this dangerous way, but there was a war going on. The Order of the Phoenix took risks every day. Why couldn't she?

True, these were not the same settings, but Hermione had heard Lavender and Parvati tell many a tale of girls breaking sobbing and going mad from the exhaustion of flirting. Of course, they did like to exaggerate.

"R-" Hermione started, but then saw a picture of Rowena Ravenclaw. "Rowena!"

"What do you want?" Ron said with a note of disdain in his voice. He had heard Hermione and turned around.

Hermione jabbed her finger at a classroom and tried to smile seductively. It felt horribly fake, like she was wearing a mask. She tried looking up at him- he was much taller than her- and tilting her head a little bit, but he looked at her rather oddly.

"I thought you had Arithmancy!" he said confusedly.

Hermione kept on walking, but looked back at him for just a second. When their eyes met, she quickly tore them apart. She shook her head, figuring that if she wasn't facing Ron, the charm wouldn't think that she was communicating with him.

Ron followed her, still looking perplexed.

"But we're going the long way!" he protested as they both climbed the stairs that were to Hermione's right.

She glared; longer was better. There was more time to refine her flirting skills.

_What else can I do?_ Hermione thought desperately. She had read a few magazines for girls during the summers and before she had gone to Hogwarts and they had had tips for flirting. _Smile big,_ one had said. _Move your hips a little when you walk,_ another one had said. She decided to do the latter.

Her hips starting moving with each step, but was it the right way? Did it look stupid? Did _she_ look stupid?

She started walking faster, so Ron would catch up with her. It worked.

"So are you going to tell Harry?" said Ron abruptly.

Hermione felt a pained look evolve on her face. She hoped Ron would take it as though she didn't like to talk about Harry.

"Right. So you want me to tell him?" Ron fake-whispered.

A glare replaced the pained look.

"Did you fancy anyone else?" A thoughtful look came over his face. "Does _Vicky_ know?"  
Ron spat out the name of the "enemy". It was still an extremely touchy subject between Hermione and Ron.

Keeping the tradition, Hermione's glare deepened. She could almost feel her hair getting bushier with anger. Why did he have to bring it up? Why?

Hermione stalked away, foregoing the hips entirely. If Ron was going to be such and idiot, she just wouldn't even try to flirt.

* * *

Instead of sitting by Harry and Ron like she usually did, Hermione made the choice to sit by Lavender and Parvait, who, by some luck, had the same Charms class as she did. When Hermione had finished and the other two didn't feel like working anymore, they discussed what had happened.

"So then he brought up _Viktor Krum?_" Parvati said in a hushed voice, awed.

"Yes, he did," Hermione whispered. She had been over this at least five times.

"And he still thinks that you like Harry?" Lavender whispered forgetting to be mute to Hermione.

"_Yes. He does,_" said Hermione through clenched teeth.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Lavender inquired with feigned wonder.

"_You_ are the ones supposed to be helping _me_," Hermione said, loosing her patience.

"There's not really much we can do!" Parvati consoled Hermione. "But you could just ignore Harry…"

"Yes, but I'm already doing that!" Hermione nearly yelled. Professor Flitwick looked over at them disapprovingly. Hermione felt ashamed; teachers never yelled at her!

"I guess you'll just have to figure it out on your own…" Lavender said airily.

Hermione shot a harsh look at Lavender. Parvati rolled her eyes. She thought the whole fight between Lavender and Parvati was rather stupid. Lavender had been dumped plenty of times and all of those boys were with somebody else! She hadn't made a big deal of it until Ron and Hermione.

"For homework, write an essay-no less than three rolls of parchment- about…" Hermione studiously copied down every word that Flitwick said into a homework planner. It was silent, unlike Harry and Ron's.

Stupid Ron.

Stupid Harry.

* * *

Hermione went down the Common Room for her free period. She had one between Charms and Ancient Runes. She studied furiously and cursed Ron at the same time. She could multi-task very well.

But then Ron and Harry came down; their class had been let out early. Hermione sighed heavily. This would be fun.

The boys took their usual seats- right by Hermione. She could eavesdrop on their conversation perfectly while doing her homework!

"But seriously mate," Ron was saying fervently to Harry. "She said…"

Oh great. Ron was talking about her supposed crush on Harry.

Harry's eyes grew wide. "No way!" he said and looked around.

"Yeah. Well, she didn't actually say it but-"

"Of course not, her heart is still pink, isn't it?" Harry said sarcastically.

"she just blushed when I said your name," Ron finished loudly. Apparantely, blushing meant something very deep to him. Harry was a little skeptical. Good for him.

"But, Hermione wouldn't just admit it," he reasoned.

"Keep your voice down!" Ron warned.

"She didn't _admit_ it. She blushed!" Ron said crazily, as if turning red was the worst thing you could do in the world.

"But-" Harry said, then stopped himself. He didn't know girls any better than Ron did. Well, he _had_ kissed a crying girl before… But look at how that turned out!

Hermione got up suddenly to go to Ancient Runes. Honestly, Harry and Ron pretending to know what girls thought! Ron didn't even know what _his_ thoughts meant!

She snorted to herself while carrying her extremely heavy textbooks. Every single one of them- and she needed four for Ancient Runes- was at least eight hundred pages! However, it did make a good way to build muscle.

And at least Ancient Runes was a class without stupid Ron in it.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, Ron.

He could have carried the books without any problem, But he would have gloated about it. Or was it her that would have gloated about carrying them?

She wasn't sure.


	8. Last Note

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters, settings or plots of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I am not making money off of this. Oh right. I don't own the Lord of the Rings either.

Author's Note: Thank you for all of these reviews! I feel so loved! Wriggles with delight Ha-ha. But after this chapter, and the Ginny one, I will only have one more for each girl- woman. Teacher. Whatever. Plus, this one is rather short. But isn't that sad?

* * *

Minerva had been trembling- at least, that's what she thought she was doing- since she had sent that note. What a stupid thing to do! What if the secret admirer-Albus-was doing it for a joke?

But just as her last fourth year were trailing out the door, seeming to take as much time as possible taking a mere five steps, a fragile little paper crane, struggling to lift its wings, soared in through the open door.

Minerva refrained from lunging at the sad little crane at once, not wishing to seem crazy in front of her students, no matter how long they took to walk out of the door. While it hovered silently, for it had no mouth, the students took one last look at their teacher and the strange note. They stepped out.

Minerva tore the bird from the air and unfolded it, nearly frothing at the mouth. She looked nervously at the windows: someone could be watching. With a quick flick of her wand, the curtains closed and Minerva was left alone.

_Dear Minerva,_

_Why don't you say we meet- face to face. Why don't you come to the edge of the Forbidden Forest at four-thirty o'clock today. My face is rather older than yours, but I think I shall be glad. Will you say yes? If not, I want you to know that I will think of you forever, until the day I die. And I have lived for a long time; death may still be in the distant future. Not everyone can live forever. _

_Hopefully, Lovingly, Devotedly Yours,_

_Secret Admirer_

_P.S. Send back your answer with this crane, he will know what to do._

So now she could find out if it really was Albus. And if it wasn't him… she would be completely embarrassed. Minerva hated embarrassment; it made fools of people. She didn't want to be a fool.

Four-thirty. Minerva glanced at the clock. It had just moved so that the time was now four o'clock. Thirty minutes! When had he sent this? Maybe the crane had just taken a long time… Either way, she had to get ready.

But how could she look… pretty, without looking fake? Minerva had never thought of herself as a beauty. Her looks were too harsh for that. Maybe a deep green robe to bring out the color in her eyes would be the way to go. Yes, that was right, Minerva decided.

Minerva hurried to her rooms; she had no more classes to teach. She listlessly thumbed through all her robes. She was lost in thought about what could happen when she went down to the forest at four-thirty.

She took a nervous look at the clock. It was only four-ten. Still twenty minutes. The glimpse put Minerva on edge. She tried to plan out every inch of what she should do but it didn't work very well. There were too many possibilities. She would leave in five minutes, to make sure she had enough time to get down to the Forest.

With the silky robe on and the minute hand pointing to the fifteen, Minerva left her rooms, trying to look confident. Walking through the long corridors, she felt as if every eye- including stone and painted eyes- was on her. Minerva had always tried to keep apprehension and nervousness since her very first day at Hogwarts. This was one of the few times that it had snuck past her barrier. She always kept a strong defense.

But without stopping to talk to anyone, Minerva made it out to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She couldn't see anyone in the fading night- the day still went by quickly- so she tried to collect herself.

It was so peaceful out here. No students, no interruptions, no papers to grade. But it could get a little bit lonely if she stayed out here all the time. Some company was good, but it had to be the right company. No one idiotic, obnoxious, or… drooling. Drooling was never a good sign. Neither was frothing at the mouth, going into convulsions, or talking to themselves, like that one creature in _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy that she had read during the summer. She had almost laughed out loud at parts! That creature, Gollum or Sméagol, always said "My precious, my precious." He did sound rather creepy; Minerva hoped never to meet a Gollum, if there were such things.

_Snap._ Someone stepped on a twig. It was her secret admirer! Minerva glided in a rushed way over to where the noise had come from. She stood in the shadows, just looking for a minute. She couldn't see much because he was in the shadow of a large tree.

It was going to take a lot of courage to do this.

"Hello," Minerva called.

The figure spun around. She still couldn't see much; he hadn't stepped out of the shadows yet.

"Hello?" he asked cautiously. Minerva froze. That wasn't the kind old voice of Albus Dumbledore.

It was the voice of Severus Snape.


	9. Free and Flowing

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters- or anything else you recognize from the books- of Harry Potter. They belong to J.K. Rowling. But to express my devotion… a song fic to the tune of _Since U Been Gone_ by Kelly Clarkson! Which, coincidentally, I don't own either!

__

Here's the thing 

_He started with Dursleys_

_It was cruel but it was all-pretend_

_Yeah, yeah. The Boy who Lived._

_He scrubbed the floors and was treated badly_

_Wasn't long till he met a Bradley _

_Yeah, yeah. They Boy Who Lived_

_And all Aunt Petunia would ever say_

_Is that his parents died of a car crash_

_That's all you'd ever hear her say_

_The Boy Who Lived!_

_Went to Hogwarts and learned some tricks!_

_The Boy Who lived! Yeah, yeah!_

_Thanks to Ron_

_And Hermione_

_He isn't so bullied_

_The Boy Who Lived_

_How can I put it?_

_He faced great dangers_

_Defeated Voldemort five times_

_Yeah, yeah. The Boy Who Lived._

_But now after his sixth year_

_He just wants to have Dumbledore!_

_To help him defeat the Horcuxes!_

_The Boy Who Lived!_

_Learned about Voldemort's past!_

_The Boy who lived! Yeah, yeah!_

_Thanks to Dumbledore_

_And the Penseive_

_He knows what to do!_

_The Boy Who Lived_

_He had some family-ish people_

_They're dead now, except the Weasleys _

_Destruction, by Voldemort!_

_Again and again and again and AGAIN!_

_Doo-doo doo doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo-doo_

_(and so on with guitars)_

_The Boy Who Lived!_

_(The Boy Who Lived)_

_Must defeat the Dark Lord for once and all!_

_The Boy Who Lived! Yeah, yeah!_

_Thanks to him!_

_(Thank to Him!)_

_Everyone!_

_Will fin'lly be safe!_

_Defeat Dark Lord for Once and all!_

_The Boy Who Lived! Yeah, yeah! _

_Thanks to Him!_

_(Thanks to him)_

_Everyone!_

_(Everyone)_

_You should know!_

_(You should know!)_

_Of his name!_

_He will defeat Dark Lord…._

_The Boy Who Lived!_

_The Boy Who Lived!_

_The Boy Who Lived!_

Now wasn't that refreshing? Ah. I love writing song-fics! You should read Silvver Phoenix's; they are so funny! Well… read the actual story too!

Now I actually will write the chapter. NO, I won't. I have to warn you: Harry will be very out of character in this chapter. I'm so sorry, but I had to do it. Please don't kill me!

* * *

Ginny decided that maybe the way to go with Harry was to be natural, free, and flowing. Maybe not so free that certain parts of her were up and bobbing about, free of their confines, but very flowing. Besides, she wouldn't have time to wriggle out of the unnamed undergarment before her next class. Plus, that was _way_ to natural. She could have some traumatizing memories if she did that! She would be scarred for life…

"Hi Ginny." Great. He was here again! Ginny turned around, smiled very loosely, and made a sign with her fingers that she had seen one of the girls in her year do. It was just holding up two fingers, but it had seemed cool and relaxed to Ginny. Harry looked puzzled.

"Peace?" he asked, suppressing a smile. Piffle! He knew what it meant! Ginny didn't even know what it meant! She gave a strained smile and pretended to laugh it off. How could he know what it meant?

"So… we never finished our conversation." Ginny steeled herself; under no circumstances would she talk to him. No matter how cute he looked, no matter how much he laughed, no matter how much he did _anything_, she would not speak one single word.

"Even though it was rather one sided." Harry smiled at the rather odd look on Ginny's face. She looked like she was lost staring at the wall.

"Are you okay?" Ginny jerked out of her trance. Perhaps she had been concentrating too much on not talking. Not a good sign.

She smiled reassuringly- reassuring him that she was not, as everyone thought, crazy. It was just a rumor. That, hopefully, not many people had heard.

"So how long?" Harry demanded. Ginny smiled seductively, and then abandoned it when she remembered that she was being _natural_. It was so confusing to remembering how to flirt! There was being overly revealing, being conservative, being extremely girly, being a tom-boy, being _natural_, being semi-girly/semi-tom-boy, and _so_ many others! At least, that was what Lavender and Parvati said. Not that Ginny talked to Lavender much; she had been so rude to Hermione.

Ginny made the motion to hold some fingers up. She stopped, though. It might have counted as communication. She didn't know how smart the charm was.

"Will you please tell me?" Harry pleaded. Ginny shook her head towards the end of the corridor. Her classes were almost over and this was a free period for Harry.

"Please? Please? Please? Please? Please?"

Still no answer. He was being so annoying! It was hard for Ginny not to just yell at him. She had to get to her class. It was close though.

"Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please?" Harry continued on until they had reached the classroom. Ginny felt a light buzzing in her head that seemed to be whispering, "Shut him up."

_I know,_ she told the buzzing. _But then my heart will turn a different color!_

Harry took a huge breath. Ginny did an imaginary victory dance in her head. It would have been awfully embarrassing to have actually done one; she wasn't very good at victory dances. They always seemed to end with her getting carried away.

"Pleeeeeeaaaase?" Harry begged on one long, drawn-out, obnoxious, infuriating, irritating, annoying, exasperating note.

Before she had time to think it through logically, her mouth carried out her emotions.

"Harry, SHUT UP!" Ginny yelled. Her heart immediately turned fuchsia. Harry stared at her openly, shocked at her actions. He hadn't really meant for him to yell at her, not yet, at least. He would have preferred a more private place, like the Common Room. This hall was filling up with students dragging their feet to class.

"Oh, damn." Ginny whispered.


	10. No Answer

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any characters, settings, names, or really anything that you recognize from the Harry Potter series.

**Author's Note:** So, did you like my little song fic? I realize that other that, the chapter was extremely short; please bear with me! This chapter- I hope- will be lengthy. I hope. Not making any promises. If it isn't long, I will add a sincere apology at the end. Right? Of course right.

Anyone know what musical that is from? If two people guess it correctly, AND NOT PADFOOT OR MOONY, I will update sooner!

* * *

Ron came down alone; Harry was out looking for Ginny. Hermione was still amused from the conversation she overheard. It brought a luminous smile to her face. Ron thinking he knew what girl thought! It was too priceless- almost as good as Malfoy the Ferret.

He caught sight of Hermione smiling triumphantly and something exploded inside of him. Regardless of the other students in the Common Room- there was only a couple of people- he strode over her.

"So Hermione, asked him out yet?" Ron said very loudly, almost shouting. Hermione felt her face turn red, but kept her composure.

"Did he say yes? I know he's always loved having someone to get him out of a tight spot," he yelled. Hermione felt her fingers shaking and lowered her quill. She would _not_ let Ron get to her.

"You haven't yet?" said Ron noisily, walking around to get in front of Hermione's chair. "Oh, are you too scared? Or are you worried about what _Vicky_ would say?" Some of the students watching in disgusted amazement turned and whispered to each other about what "Vicky" could mean. Hermione wasn't with a girl was she?

"He would probably just shuffle over here and try to kill Harry again! I mean he lost the Tournament! He probably wants revenge!" screamed Ron hysterically.

That was the last straw. In a flash, Hermione drew her wand and wordlessly performed the Jelly-Legs Hex. Ron's ears turned scarlet. He grabbed his wand and tried to Disarm Hermione but she put up a Shield Charm.

_Is that all you can do, Ron?_ Hermione mentally taunted him. Then she casually flicked her wand and levitated a heavy book over his head. She hovered it over Ron's head and put it back up. Right before she was about to drop it slightly to the right of his burning face, he Banished it.

Ron fired hex and charm one after another in a flash. Hermione's shield was so strong that it lasted until the very last spell- she dodged that one easily. There was a collective gasp from the small crowd as her shield broke.

That smug little grin was still on Hermione's face. More than anything, Ron just wanted that smile gone. She was such a little know-it-all.

While he had been glaring at Hermione, she had made his legs tap-dance wildly and not stand still.

"Finite," Ron said nastily. That would show her!

With a little jab of Hermione's wand, he found himself lying flat on his back. Hermione soundlessly Disarmed Ron while he lay, defenseless. She held the wand up, the grin on her face showing that she knew that Ron could not do anything to steal the victory away.

Ron got up as quickly as he could with his aching legs and sneered at Hermione.

"So this is what you really want Hermione?" he declared. "You want to get Harry and be rid of me. Fine." Another ripple of whispers when through the spectators. So Hermione liked _Harry_. That made more sense.

Hermione felt the heat racing through her body from the duel and Ron's statement. No! She didn't want Harry! She wanted… She wanted Ron. There. She wanted him. But how could she let him know?

Hermione felt tears pool up. How horrible it was to be powerless. Her voice was the thing that made her feelings known. She hated to show powerful emotion during school. Funerals, weddings, movies… those were different stories. But during classes, when everyone was watching her with mixed emotions of scorn and admiration, she wanted to be stone sometimes. If she showed too much emotion, they would think that she was a weak little Mudblood. At least, some of them would.

That was the beauty of Ron: he was a pureblood, yet never cared that one of his greatest friends came from a Muggle family. Harry could have been like a pureblood himself; his father was pureblood and his mother was a powerful Muggle-born witch. He could have been with Malfoy and the others. But instead they both chose to be friend with her.

There were the hard times-Scabbers, Lavender, Krum- but in the end, it was worth it. The friendship of Harry and Ron was worth all of the squabbles. It didn't seem that way when it was happening, but Hermione knew it was true.

Then Hermione's mouth ran away and did something her head hadn't instructed it to do.

It spoke.

"Ron, wait!" Hermione yelled. Her paper heart instantly turned fuchsia, but she didn't care. All she cared about was that Ron got the story straight.

"What do you want?" he said bitterly. Apparently what Hermione did wasn't as big of a deal to him. Well, _he_ wasn't the one who could answer any questions in some classes today!

"I want you to get your facts straight!" Hermione said forcefully and pulled him up to the empty dormitory.

"So what's the _real story_," Ron said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

"That it's not Harry I fancy," Hermione whispered. She hoped Ron could hear her. It would be horrible for her to have to yell it.

"What?" Ron said meanly. Great.

"It's. Not. Harry. I. Fancy." Hermione said between clenched teeth. She couldn't blow up now. It would ruin everything.

"Right. Of course."

"I mean it!" Hermione pleaded.

"Then show me who you fancy," Ron replied.

"But…" Hermione mumbled. How could she do that?

"Of course," Ron stated, not really knowing what she meant.

Hermione did the boldest thing she had ever done. She leaned forward, shy as a butterfly, and pressed her lips against Ron's. She practically melted when she felt him kiss her back. It was everything she had thought it would be. He tasted of spice, clean air, and comfort.

Hermione broke the kiss and looked down. Strange. Her heart wasn't just red; it was scarlet. Dumbledore hadn't mentioned anything about that.

"I fancy you." Hermione spoke the obvious.

"Yeah, I could tell." Ron was smiling with the sarcasm this time. That was a good sign.

"So…" Hermione whispered shyly.

"So now, I do this," Ron declared and pulled Hermione towards him again. Hermione willingly went and met him. It was a more passionate kiss, nearly free from shyness and full of heat. There was still a sweetness that Hermione hadn't known Ron had possessed. It felt like more of a kiss than what Lavender and Ron were doing. Even more than that, it felt right. It was like this was meant to happen, sooner or later. She might not have been able to stand later.

Hermione relished the feel of his soft firelocks in her hands, his freckled skin, and his long neck- everything about him. She wanted everything and so did he.

Hermione pulled away. Her head rested comfortably against his; his skin felt remarkably cool next to hers. Maybe it was just that hers was remarkably warm.

"What does this mean?" Hermione asked.

"Does everything have to have a meaning?" Ron teased and tugged her in again.

Hermione knew that it wasn't just lust. Lust couldn't have given her the feeling of completeness that Ron gave her. Lust couldn't give her the butterflies that fluttered every single time their eyes locked.

If she wanted lust, she could have McLaggen. But if she wanted something more, Ron was the answer.

Hermione knew what the answer to her question was: none. It was just she and Ron; space and time had gone away and so had everything else.

There just weren't enough moments like this in life.

* * *

Now wasn't that just _cute_? It made me go "Awww" when I wrote it! Yayer! I hope it makes _you_, my lovely reviewers of this piece of fluff, do the same!

So review to tell me if it did!

Prongs

P.S. Even if two people- besides Moony and Padfoot- don't know where the line "Right? Of course right!" I'll still update soon! I know what's going to happen to Minerva and Snape and you don't! Na-na-na-na boo-boo! Did anyone ever used to do that? I don't really remember doing it, but it's fun to say!

_**Prongs**_


	11. Stronger

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Harry Potter.

Author's Note: The last Minerva chapter! Sad day! But you get to know what Snape is doing skulking around the forest… heh heh heh.

Oh yes, and the line at the end… don't read if you haven't read HBP. Also, let's just pretend that Dumbledore thought that, or that he had a _huge_ suspicion about the umm… things. Ahem.

* * *

"You?" They both shouted at the same time. Minerva's charmed heart turned fuchsia while her real one sank down to her knees. She had just fulfilled all of the girls' nightmares: she had lost her heart to Severus Snape.

_Well, I might as well go on with it,_ Minerva thought dejectedly.

"What are _you_ doing out here?" Minerva said with suspicion etched in every note of her voice.

"I could ask you the same," came Snape's oily tones.

"I'm waiting for an answer!" Minerva tapped her toe into the soft earth. The snow had just barely melted, leaving the ground soggy and wet. The trees still dripped a steady rhythm: _plink… plink…plink…_

To her surprise, Snape ducked his head. It was an uncharacteristic move of him. Snape was never bashful or shy- at least, that was what he showed on the outside. Minerva was never quite sure what was going on in his head and she wasn't sure that she wanted to. Snape was a more mysterious person than she ever had met.

"Well… I was…." He mumbled.

"Out with it!" Minerva said sternly.

"Meeting someone," he finished.

"Meeting someone?" Minerva asked confusedly. "Who?"

"Well, I sent a note asking them to meet me here," Snape explained, trying to regain his composure without revealing too much.

"Asking _who_ Severus?" Minerva requested in a dangerous voice.

"Pomona," Snape whispered. His face turned rather red behind his mane of greasy black hair.

"Pomona!" Minerva shrieked.

"Yes," Severus said testily.

"Did she…. reply?" Minerva asked, trying to keep her voice down. What if Albus heard?

"Well, once. To tell me that she would come," Snape admitted.

"So it wasn't you that sent me the notes?" Minerva cried in relief.

"_You_ got notes?" Severus said in thinly concealed wonder.

"Good-bye," Minerva said shortly, for she had seen a flash of white a ways down the edge.

"Yes," Snape said absently.

Minerva walked quickly, tryingn to get as far away from the star-struck lover. She hoped it wouldn't end too badly. She felt awful for Pomona. Having _Severus_ as a secret admirer! How terrible! But then she was being terrible to Severus too…

"Albus?" she whispered softly, almost too soft to be audibly. "It's me, Minerva."

There was no answer, only the sound of the faint breeze ruffling the leaves. But that wind hadn't been there just a second ago…

"Albus?" she called louder. "Are you there?"

Silence.

He _had_ to be there! He just _had_ to be! Minerva was starting to get frantic. What if it was all a hoax? What if it was a joke? What if he hadn't taken her seriously?

"Minerva?" Albus came walking out with a laugh in his voice. "I'm here."

Minerva let out a long sigh that she hadn't known she was holding. Now it was time for the true test: if he was just joking. She hoped with all her heart that he hadn't been. If Albus had sent the notes in fun, she couldn't bear to think of what would happen?

"Who did you talk to?" Albus asked lightly, though the air was quickly filling up with Minerva's apprehension.

"Oh, that." Minerva blushed. "It was Severus." Albus' eyes twinkled with mirth.

"But I didn't know who he was- standing in the shadows and then we both recognized each other…" Minerva trailed off as she realized that she was babbling.

"So what you brings you to this part of the Forbidden Forest?" Albus teased.

"I was hoping you knew," Minerva whispered, feeling her face heat up.

"Enlighten me," said Albus. His beard swayed slightly, nearly glowing in the rapidly fading light.

"Well," Minerva said, unsure of how to start. "I have been receiving… notes from an unknown person. And… and I sent one back." A smile was tugging on the edges of Albus' mouth; he didn't let it stray too far.

"So the person told me to meet him here, and I came." Minerva finished with a sigh. It felt nice to get the wait of her secret off of her shoulders, but it was nerve-racking when the person she told was the person who may be the one who sent the notes.

"And I think-I hope-that the person… is you," said Minerva in a rush.

"And do you know that? For sure?" Albus wondered.

"No. That's why I hope," Minerva said simply.

"And for your hope I tell you this: silver," said Albus mysteriously.

"It was you!" exclaimed Minerva, clapping her hands like a child. She knew it! And now… and now…

"Yes. And I presume it was you, my dear, who sent me that lovely letter," Albus said lovingly. His eyes caressed her every move.

"You are right, as always." Minerva smiled, her eyes full of a light that had not been there for a long while. The light of new love shone in two pairs of eyes, both emerald and blue. It mixed to form the right shade for both of them- one that would suit the other, no matter what.

Albus strode forward and took Minerva into his arms. For his age, his arms were strong and warm. Minerva felt herself settle into his arms, content to stay there forever. They didn't need a bed or kisses trailing down to forbidden parts to express their love. It would come to that eventually, but for now, it was enough to be close to him.

Albus' beard tickled her a little bit and Minerva giggled. That was surprising; Minerva never giggled. There hadn't been enough to giggle about for a long time. Now was her chance, so she should get it out.

Her giggling was infectious and Albus started to laugh too. Ther laughter mingled and pealed throughout the Forest, bouncing off of trees and startling the creatures within.

"I love you," Minerva said sincerely. It was the truest thing she had ever said.

"I love you," Dumbledore said tenderly, care and devotion etched in every line on his face. The age difference didn't matter, all that mattered was what they felt.

And what they felt now felt strong enough to defeat Voldemort- Horcruxes or not.

* * *

Another "Awww!" chapter! The next one will probably be very fluffy too. Just a warning.

Oh yes, there will be an epilogue. I have to wrap up loose ends somehow! Also, there will not be a sequel. Wait. Let me make that stand out more.

_**THERE WILL NOT BE A SEQUEL!**_

I think that got your attention. Let's hope so. I can't really make it any bigger, but I would if I could! But I can't. So I won't!

Yes. Okay. Now that that is done with, good-bye lovely, beautiful (I'm guessing there… just kidding!), dear, sparkling, glowing, radiant, devoted, glamorous, faithful (_some_ of you… won't name names…), adorable, pretty, stunning, gorgeous, elegant, stylish, chic, and just plain great reviewers. I think that got your attention too. I love being overdramatic!


	12. Happiest Day

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything you recognize from the books.

**Author's Note: **Wow! I have eighty-five reviews! That's the most any of our stories that have been written by only one of us has gotten! Thank you guys so much! Plus I have the most hits, the most favorites, and the most alerts! I'm so happy! And it's all because of you! (Padfoot and Moony, this applies to you too.)

I'm sorry that I didn't clear this up! Pomona is Professor Sprout. Pomona means "apple".

I have a question for you guys! Does anyone know if Luna really lives by the Weasleys? I have seen it in several fics and I wanted to know if it was true or not!

Another question! Have you ever seen _Newsies_? It's so good! It's about the New York Newsies strike in 1899; Christian Bale, the guy who played Batman in _Batman Begins_ is the lead! He is so cute! It's weird though, because he is British and he has a New York accent! Well I saw it on a movie channel last night and freaked out! We watched it in choir because we are doing the song "Seize the Day" from the movie and watched it in choir! So good!

Well that's the end of my questions… except for: will you review? And sorry for the ridiculously long author's note. You don't really have to read them…

* * *

As her skin rapidly turned the shade of her hair, Ginny rushed into the classroom. That was great timing; lots of people around, she was shouting, right near a classroom, what more was there to ask for?

And now she would have to avoid stampedes of girls asking who she had "lost" her heart to. Great. Just great. But at least she had lost it to the right person…

The lesson passed by in a blur. She was bombarded with frantic girls the whole class and didn't even want to try to answer their questions. They were all fake whispering, "Who was it Ginny? Was he cute? Oh, please tell us!" It went on the whole entire time. No break, no time off- only those stupid questions. She was ready to curse the next girl who asked her who had changed her heart. A nice Bat-Bogey Hex would calm Ginny nicely.

Ginny stomped away to the Common Room, nearly growling with pent-up anger and frustration. It was Harry's entire stupid fault! If he hadn't been so- so infuriating she wouldn't have said anything!

She gave the password to the Fat Lady (Poodle-oodle) and marched in. Just as she took her first step, she realized that _Harry_ would be in here too. Well, she'd get to the direct confrontation. But then it would be in front of everyone; they would stare. Ron would be furious. Harry was his best mate! It was bad enough with Dean, it would be worse with Harry! But still… she lived for risks.

Scanning the room, Ginny caught sight of Harry. He was talking to Ron. That was helpful. She filled her lungs with lots of clean air, full of the bustling noises of the students. Most of the Gryffindors hadn't come in yet, but they would soon. It was best to get it over with now.

She crossed the room to Harry, a hard, blazing look fixed on her face.

"Hello," she said pleasantly. "Might as well finish what I started." And then she kissed him fiercely. There was no hesitation, no shyness, just the kiss. It filled hr up with such an intense feeling that Ginny thought she might burst from happiness and passion.

Ginny broke the kiss with a smile playing on her face. She looked up at Harry, who was bewildered. She then looked over at the ultimate test- Ron. There was a slight look of disgust on his face, but he stared at Ginny right in the eyes. He gave the slightest nod of all time. Ginny's smile grew to her ears; she had Ron's approval! She saw Hermione positively glowing with happiness. Maybe _she_ had something to do with Ron's acceptance… but there was time to ponder that later.

"So do I still have to shut up?" Harry asked, half-serious.

"I have other things for you to do," said Ginny mischievously. She pressed her mouth to his, gentler this time. She wanted to make sure that he wasn't playing around with her. Harry kissed her back and Ginny knew that he was true. Neither Dean nor Zacharias Smith's kisses had felt this way; this was something different- special. This was sincere feeling, not just a fling that she would abandon.

"Alright, that's enough!" Ron said sternly. He did look the slightest bit amused. It was definitely Hermione that had brought the change, Ginny decided.

"Look who's talking! You and Lavender did it all over the place! In the Great Hall, between classes, in the Common Room, in empty classes," Ginny counted on her fingers. She wasn't exaggerating; more than once she had caught Ron and Lavender having a snog in the hallway. Frankly, it was quite disgusting. It gave Ginny a nightmare once. She couldn't quite remember it, but she knew that it had Ron and Lavender snogging. That she was sure of.

"But…" Ron tried to think of a comeback. He wasn't very good at them. Ginny was so much better than him! It was one of her strengths, making fun of Ron. Fred and George had shown her the way to greatness…

"I wouldn't try too hard to think of something to say, Ron. You might hurt yourself," Ginny was getting a little carried away, but she felt so light and happy. This was the best thing Dumbledore had ever planned. How could she think that it wasn't?

"Come on Harry," Ginny ordered, tugging on his arm. She knew a special place where they could go. He knew where it was too.

"Okay," Harry said obediently.

They walked hand-in-hand through the halls. Ginny couldn't stop smiling. It was a genuine smile this time; there wasn't any coyness or phony natural smile in it. It felt good to be really smiling. There hadn't been much to smile about this year; all the deaths and chaos were heavy on their shoulders. Ginny knew many people who had lost a parent or close relative from the destruction that Voldemort and his followers were causing.

Valentine's Day was a way to be apart from all of that. It let people be happy for at least a day and maybe more. Ginny knew that there would be many more happy days for her. Even with the O.W.L.s, Harry would be by her side.

And as cliché as it sounded, Ginny knew that this would be the most magical Valentine's Day of her life. Well… there could be some _other_ things that happened, but those were in the future and all Ginny just wanted to be in the present.

* * *

Wasn't that adorable! Not as much humor as the last chapter, but I still liked it!

The epilogue will be up soon!

Before I go, I have one last thing to say: we _are_ doing this at my school! But it will be different. We are going to do it for St. Patrick's Day, but the _guys_ will have to be silent! At lunch, the girl with the most shamrocks will get a prize. I'm not going to be very good at it; I'm _really_ shy. Just ask Padfoot and Moony, they'll tell you!

Love,

_**Prongs**_


	13. Epilogue: Happily Ever After

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything you recognize from the books.

**Author's Note**: The last chapter! Thank you all so much for your great reviews! For once, I am not going to add a superfluous author's note… until the end.

But beware: this is an epilogue, so it won't be long. Okay?

(6/26/06) A sequel to this story is now up! Or at least the prologue is up. But the first chapter will be up soon, so read and review!

* * *

So what was to become of our lovers– both young and old?

There would be love that would keep them warm on the coldest of days. A companion to cheer them up and bring them back down to earth. They would be friends, not just someone to hold when they needed it.

But there would also be heartbreak and sorrow. There would be leavings for a noble reason- to protect the one he loved. There would be tears shed for a death. There would be worry, for who knew what was going to happen to him, alone in the world, looking for something Dark and secret that only four people knew about?

There would be laughter and happiness. There would be sadness and depression. There would be hopes and dreams. There would be every emotion under the sun coursing through the bodies of the lovers.

Before all of the sorrow, the tragedy, the heartbreak, and the worry, everyone- Harry and Ginny, Hermione and Ron, Minerva and Albus- would live happily every after- for a little while. 


End file.
